Claude Albright
{{Short description|American opera singer}}
{{Infobox person
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| name = Claude Albright
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| image = Claude Albright, opera singer (SAYRE 22299).jpg
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| alt = Black and white portrait photograph of opera singer Claude Albright
| caption = Claude Albright in 1903
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1873|06|05}}
| birth_place = Howard, Kansas
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| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1923|06|26|1873|06|05}}
| death_place = Saint Helena, California
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| nationality = American
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| education = Vassar College
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| occupation = opera singer
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Claude Elwood Albright Roberts (June 5, 1873 – June 26, 1923) was an American opera singer, generally classified as a mezzo-soprano. She grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico Territory, and was recognized as New Mexico's most famous singer during the early 20th century.{{cite news |title=Thousands Hear Miss Claude Albright in an Open Air Concert Tonight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60151566/albuquerque-journal/ |access-date=September 28, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=October 2, 1915 |via=Newspapers.com}} She performed with various opera companies during her career, most notably the Carl Rosa Opera Company in the United Kingdom.
Early life
Albright was born in Howard, Kansas in 1873. Her parents were John G. Albright, a newspaperman who later owned the Albuquerque Journal, and Franc Luse Albright, a photographer. The family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1880, and then Albuquerque in 1882.{{cite news |title=J. G. Albright, Pioneer Here, Dies, Aged 82 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59844275/albuquerque-journal/ |access-date=September 23, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=February 23, 1931 |via=Newspapers.com}} She attended St. Vincent's Academy in Albuquerque, the Kenwood Institute in Chicago, and Vassar College.{{cite news |title=Mrs. Claude Albright Roberts Dies Suddenly in California; Body Will Arrive Here Sunday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58865844/albuquerque-journal/ |access-date=September 25, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=June 28, 1923 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Opera career
After leaving Vassar, she went with her mother to Paris, where she took voice lessons from Anna de La Grange{{cite news |title=Madame de la Grange, Paris |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/celebrity-clipping-dec-26-1895-1997726/ |access-date=October 3, 2020 |work=Musical Courier |date=December 26, 1895 |via=Newspaper Archive}} and then joined the Opéra-Comique in 1901.{{cite news |title=Praise for Albuquerquean |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59963004/albuquerque-journal/ |access-date=September 25, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=August 25, 1901 |via=Newspapers.com}} At the time, she was one of only five Americans to have performed there, along with other notable singers like Mary Garden and Sibyl Sanderson.{{cite journal |title=The Stage |journal=Munsey's Magazine |date=February 1902 |volume=26 |issue=5 |page=738 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b-U_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA738 |publisher=Frank A. Munsey Company |language=en}} In 1903, she returned to the United States and joined Henry Wilson Savage's Castle Square Opera Company,{{cite news |title=Castle Square Opera Company to Offer New Prima Donna |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59959263/st-louis-post-dispatch/ |access-date=September 25, 2020 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=January 29, 1903 |via=Newspapers.com}} where she toured nationally in various productions, mostly English-language versions of famous operas. Her best-known roles with the company were as Kundry in Parsifal and Brünnhilde in Die Walküre.{{cite news |title=Still Another Kundry: Miss Albright's Impressive Performance of the Role Yesterday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60073192/the-kansas-city-star/ |access-date=September 27, 2020 |work=Kansas City Star |date=March 19, 1905 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |last1=Simpson |first1=George E. |title=Miss Claude Albright Has Succeeded in Many Parts |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60073380/fort-worth-star-telegram/ |access-date=September 27, 2020 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |date=January 24, 1915 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |title='Faust' and the 'Valkyrie' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60073276/the-kansas-city-star/ |access-date=September 27, 2020 |work=Kansas City Star |date=April 1, 1906 |via=Newspapers.com}}
In 1910 she returned to Europe, joining the Stadtheater Bremen and then the influential Carl Rosa Opera Company in London.{{cite web |title=Carl Rosa Opera Company |url=http://www.operascotland.org/operator/58/Carl+Rosa+Opera+Company |publisher=Opera Scotland |access-date=September 27, 2020}} In Britain she received favorable reviews in a number of leading roles including Azucena in Il trovatore, Ortrud in Lohengrin, and the title role in Mignon.{{cite news |title=The Carl Rosa Opera Company in 'Lohengrin' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60083342/the-guardian/ |access-date=September 27, 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=December 5, 1911 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |title=Press of England Warmly Praised Miss Albright |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60083384/albuquerque-journal/ |access-date=September 27, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=August 21, 1912 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite journal |title=Claude Albright's Splendid Career |journal=Pacific Coast Musical Review |date=June 17, 1916 |volume=30 |issue=12 |page=8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DnA9AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA11-PA8 |access-date=September 27, 2020}} She then came back to the United States in 1912, spending a season with the Aborn Opera Company.{{cite news |title=Claude Albright Is Home for Vacation |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60139491/the-evening-herald/ |access-date=September 28, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Evening Herald |date=July 19, 1913 |via=Newspapers.com}} Albright's mother and aunt both died in 1912–13 and she had to take time away from the opera to help settle their estates.{{cite news |title=Grand Opera Star Here for Settlement of Estate |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60140629/fort-worth-star-telegram/ |access-date=September 28, 2020 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |date=January 12, 1914 |via=Newspapers.com}}
She performed at the Panama–California Exposition in San Diego in 1915{{cite news |title=Fair Throng Won by New Mexico Songbird |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDDU19151001&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 |access-date=September 28, 2020 |work=San Diego Union |date=October 1, 1915 |page=7}}{{cite book |last1=Amero |first1=Richard W. |title=Balboa Park History |url=http://www.balboaparkhistory.net/chapter4.pdf |chapter=Chapter 4: 1915—San Diego's Year of Glory}} and then joined the La Scala Grand Opera Company in Los Angeles for the 1916 season.{{cite news |title=Eminent Artists to Appear Here in La Scala Company |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60160149/los-angeles-evening-express/ |access-date=September 28, 2020 |work=Los Angeles Express |date=January 8, 1916 |via=Newspapers.com}} In 1917 she married Edward W. Roberts, a construction engineer, and largely retired from touring.{{cite news |title=Claude Elwood Married |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60162475/the-los-angeles-times/ |access-date=September 28, 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=June 3, 1917 |via=Newspapers.com}} She died in 1923 of suspected heart failure and was buried at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque.{{cite news |title=Mrs. Claude Albright Roberts' Funeral Is To Be Held Tomorrow |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60163141/albuquerque-journal/ |access-date=September 28, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=July 3, 1923 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Recordings
In 1918, Albright made three recordings for Edison Records, which were released as Edison Disc Records under the name Claudia Albright:{{cite web |title=Claudia Albright |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/300725/Albright_Claudia |website=Discography of American Historical Recordings |publisher=UC Santa Barbara |access-date=September 28, 2020}}
- La Partida (Edison 6046)
- Clavelitos (Edison 6051)
- Habanera (Edison 6057)